Sunday, August 16, 2015

Extinct Stellers Sea Cow

The North Pacific was home to the
Steller's Sea Cow. They were huge animals and it is thought they
were related to the dugong and manatee that we have today in the
oceans. The Steller's Sea Cow was 8 to 9 meters long.

Explorers fund the Steller's Sea Cow
living in the Arctic Circle. It is said there were many of them
living in the North Pacific. Less than 70 years after the explorers
discovered the Steller's Sea Cow they were completely gone.

The Steller's Sea Cow was similar in
appearance to the seal. Their tail was like that of a whale. The
Steller's Sea Cow never got out of the water. They have skin that is
black. Their skin is very thick. They have a small head and large
body. The Steller's Sea Cow has no teeth. In the place e of teeth
they have 2 white bones that are flat and one is on the bottom and
the other one is on the top of their mouth.

It is said the Steller's Sea Cow was
very tame. It is believed they could not go completely under water.
Being that they were tame and could not submerge they were easy
targets for human hunters.

The ate sea weed, kelp and sea grass
that grew in the oceans shallow water. Before the humans came they
had very few predators. When the humans came and started hunting the
Steller's Sea Cow it took them 17 years to become extinct. Their
relatives that live in the ocean today are threatened.